In order to enjoy iced and diluted liquors, such as shochu, i.e., Japanese spirits distilled from sweet potatoes, which is diluted with oolong tea, lemon water, green tea, powdered tea in water, and pickled ume extract in water, or whisky diluted with water, one has to prepare the liquor, the diluent, and ice separately.
Cracked ice of relatively large sizes is generally used for these drinks as such ice lasts long. Small shaved ice is not usually utilized because it dilutes the liquor too quickly and it remains in the form of ice for so short a time that one feels it troublesome to prepare for an additional supply of ice, although shaved ice can cool the liquor quickly.
The above-described cracked ice of large sizes is on sale in the market as it is stocked in the shop freezer, packed in polyvinyl chloride bags in an amount necessary for 10 or more cups of drinks. The cracked ice in these bags is ordinarily utilized.
Under the present circumstances described above, one has to prepare bottled diluent, ice in a container from which ice can be taken out in a certain volume, and glasses separately, in addition to the liquors. It takes a lot of time to prepare for all these materials, and the diluting liquids have to be supplied frequently. Such preparation is inconvenient and hard to enjoy. It is troublesome to bring frequently the diluting liquids to the table. Furthermore, me has to wait for a while until the drinks are cool enough.